Since first opening its doors in 1793, the Louvre has become one of the largest and most famous museums in the world and, with 8.3 million visitors per year, it is also the most visited. Louvre: 400 Masterpieces showcases a selection of works from this great institution, from the most famous—the Venus de Milo and Mona Lisa—to lesser-known gems.
With a foreword by the institution’s director, Henri Loyrette, the book is organized according to the museum’s eight departments: Near Eastern Antiquities; Egyptian Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities; Islamic Art; Sculptures; Decorative Arts; Paintings; and Prints and Drawings. The ninth and final chapter tells the history of this one time imperial palace as seen through its architecture. With its appealing format and carefully selected images, many newly photographed, Louvre: 400 Masterpieces is the perfect book for museum visitors, art lovers, and Francophiles.
This review is from: Louvre: 400 Masterpieces (Hardcover)
This is a great book with a lot crammed into it's compact size - but it is in no way cluttered.
I really like the way the pieces are presented in their specific genre. With each section having an overview of the specific area. The photos are very good with each piece being presented carefully ensuring the empahsis of the pieces rather than detracting them by surrounding them by text. There is also a broad representation of pieces displayed at the Louvre ensuring coverage of more than just the "mainstream" pieces (Mona Lisa etc).
I also like the section at the front which gives the history and development of the Louvre. It's a great coffee table book and will evoke fond memories of the Louvre when you look at it. If you haven't been, you will want to.
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This review is from: Louvre: 400 Masterpieces (Hardcover)
I've been to France once and I I was able to go to the Louvre...of course I was only able to spend one day there, which meant I missed a lot....well when I got this book, I was super excited and definitely wasn't disappointed. The pictures are wonderful and it felt like I was back at the Louvre...A+++! :)
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This review is from: Louvre: 400 Masterpieces (Hardcover)
I needed to buy a stack of books for a lucite tray I have on a table and I had seen this book featured as the standard prop used throughout the Ballard Designs catalog. It's a great book, fun to look through, serves as a souvenir from our recent trip to Paris and a great topper to a stack of big books. The quality of the pages within are a nice gloss, which I appreciated (given the price and the thickness, I didn't know what to expect inside the book). I wouldn't look through this too many times however, because you may risk damaging the binding. There are a lot of pages in there!
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